After months of negotiation, Telstra and the Australian Department of Defence have signed an AU$1.1 billion deal for the telco giant to build a new terrestrial communications network for the department.

The contract will support a network reaching out to 430 sites and supporting 100,000 users, not only in Australia but also overseas. It will use unified communications, video conferencing, smartphones, and tablets to connect Department of Defence personnel across the globe. The network will also integrate with the US Department of Defense's own network.